Have I Told You Lately?
by LightSpirit
Summary: One shot inspired by the episode 'One Year On'. When Leanne told Smithy she's getting married and that he was invited, the idea for this story came to me so here it is. It's at Leanne's wedding and a surprise is in store for Smithy at the reception.


**Have I Told You Lately?**

**_It's the day of Leanne Samuels' wedding to her fiancé Brian and with Smithy attending the occasion, an uninvited visitor shows up at the reception._**

* * *

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The vicar of Sun Hill's local church said to the couple he had just married.

The many people seated watching the ceremony began to applaud as Leanne Samuels and her new husband Brian pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. Pulling apart, they turned around to face the guests. Leanne's eyes fell on her two year old granddaughter Brooke, who was smiling a very big and cheerful smile in the arms of a relative. Her eyes then fell on another guest sitting in the front row, applauding harder than anyone else and smiling - Sergeant Dale Smith. Smithy was of course a close family friend and had worked in the investigation on the murder of Leanne's sixteen daughter Carly, who had been shot dead the following year by her ex-boyfriend and Brooke's father Dwayne Fox in a drive-by-shooting on the Jasmine Allen. It had been over a year since Carly's death and Leanne had learned to cope, but she still missed Carly dreadfully. She had managed to move on and find a man to love her and Brooke and, even though Carly wasn't there, this was truly the happiest day Leanne had had in so long. Arm-in-arm with Brian, the newlyweds walked off the alter and down the aisle, passing the cheering guests who clapped and threw confetti over them.

_**Have I told you lately that I love you  
**__**Have I told you there's no one above you  
Fill my heart with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles, that's what you do**_

Smithy was truly happy for Leanne; she was a good friend and he was delighted to see her happy and smiling. However, he couldn't help feel nostalgic that day. About a month later, Smithy had got married himself but not in the way everybody else would. His late girlfriend Kerry Young, who had been shot dead four years ago in Smithy's arms by a fellow colleague, came back for a short while as an angel from Heaven and took him on a journey through their past to help him realise how bitter he had become and to help him learn how to grieve again. The journey had worked for Smithy had managed to grieve again for Kerry's loss and become the old Smithy once again; the man she fell in love with. After their journey, they declared their love for each other all over again and married in a private ceremony that no one knew of. Kerry then took Smithy to her area of Heaven, where they spent their wedding night together and such a beautiful night it was as they made love for the first time in four years. But sadly, their happiness couldn't last forever as the next day, Kerry had to go and they finally got their chance to say goodbye. Smithy was left heartbroken and grief-stricken, but he managed to come to terms with everything. He still missed Kerry very badly, but he knew that someday they would be together again and would always be joined. He also knew that when they would be reunited, there would be someone else with them too. The day after they said goodbye, Smithy visited Kerry's grave with his mother Pauline and Kerry appeared to them. As they looked at her, she placed her hands on her stomach and looked at Smithy. He knew right away what this meant - Kerry was pregnant with their first child. He was overjoyed by the fact of becoming a father, even if it wasn't in this life, but it was still something to look forward to. He even had photos of him and Kerry on their wedding day on his desk at work and always wore his wedding ring, confusing everybody at the same time as they never knew anything about Kerry and Smithy getting married but Smithy didn't care.

_**Oh the morning sun in all its glory  
Greets the day with hope and comfort too  
And you fill my life with laughter  
You can make it better  
Ease my troubles that's what you do**_

Leanne, in her lovely simple white wedding dress, walked out of the church with Brian and stopped outside for a few photographs. After about fifteen minutes, they both climbed into a car together and drove off in the direction of the wedding reception's venue. After a ten minute drive, the car pulled up outside a small, but nice hotel near the city centre. The driver got out first and opened the door to let Leanne and Brian out, before they headed inside with all the guests.

_**There's a love that's divine  
And it's yours and it's mine  
Like the sun at the end of the day  
We should give thanks and pray to the One**_

The room set up for the wedding reception had tables and chairs laid with silver knives, forks and spoons, white china plates and wine glasses. There was a dance floor with a music set and the room had a lovely view of the hotel garden. The bride and groom entered with all the guests and everyone took their seats. Smithy was seated at a table near to Leanne and Brian's table and true to her word, Leanne had seated him with some very eligible young women, all of whom were single and smiling at Smithy. As the reception began, everyone started with their dinner. The young women sitting at Smithy's table began to break up a conversation.

"So eh, Dale," the brown haired woman sitting beside him on his left started. "Leanne's told us so much about you."

"Oh well, just how much is a lot?" Smithy asked feeling a little embarrassed.

"Well she's told us that you're a one hell of a copper," the strawberry-blonde haired woman sitting across the table answered. "Must be a great job."

"It's a good job, I enjoy it. There are sometimes when you really hate it though, simply because you have sometimes do things that seem unfair really."

"Awwh that's a shame." She answered as Smithy nodded his head.

"So eh Dale," a blonde woman sitting beside him on his right started. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Smithy stared at her for a few moments and then looked at the other women who were looking rather confident. He knew why and so he knew that he had to tell the truth.

"Sort of…" he answered and the confident looks on the faces around him began to fade away. "I'm married." He finally said and the confident looks vanished right away.

"Married? Leanne never said you were married!" The brown haired woman said sounding confused.

"That's because she doesn't know," Smithy answered before taking a sip of his wine.

"Is your wife here tonight?" The blonde woman asked.

Smithy was silent for a moment, before finally answering the question.

"No she couldn't come."

"Oh, is that because of the kids?" The brown haired woman asked.

"No…" Smithy paused again. "She's dead."

The women all looked horrified.

"Oh I'm so sorry Dale!" The blonde woman said.

"Thank you," he answered.

"How long ago did she pass away?"

"Over four years ago… she died the same way Leanne's daughter did." Smithy explained. "But I'd prefer not to talk about it, it is after all Leanne's big day."

And he took another sip of his wine.

_**Have I told you lately that I love you  
Have I told you there's no one above you  
Fill my heart with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles, that's what you do**_

The reception went on with the dinner, the cutting of the cake and then, it came to the speeches. Brian stood up and gave out his speech about how Leanne had made him such a happy man, and then he went into a very touching ending.

"Now I would like to take this opportunity to remember Leanne's lovely daughter Carly. I know for a fact that Carly is looking down upon us now smiling and I know she's very proud of her mother for being strong, for picking herself up and of course for taking such good care of Brooke. Carly's death certainly was a great tragedy, but she'll never be forgotten and for we know, she's probably here right now celebrating this special day with us. So let us raise our glasses."

Brian lifted his glass and everyone else lifted theirs. "To Carly Samuels, may she always look down upon us and smile."

"To Carly Samuels," everyone repeated before taking a sip of their wine. Everyone then applauded Brian's speech and Leanne stood up and hugged her husband with tears swelling up in her eyes over his beautiful speech about her late daughter.

_**There's a love that's divine  
And it's yours and it's mine  
And it shines like the sun  
At the end of the day we will give thanks  
And pray to the One**_

The wedding continued with dancing; Smithy even got up and danced with Leanne and the women from his table. When Smithy went to take a break from dancing, a slow dance came on to the song 'Have I Told You Lately?' by Van Morrison. After fetching a drink, Smithy sat down alone at his table and just watched all the couples dancing together, most of them looking so happy especially Leanne and Brian of course. As he watched them and listened to the song, Smithy could feel all the nostalgic feelings come back and even though he felt selfish, he couldn't help it. It all made him feel that he could be dancing up there with someone special, but there was no one there for him as there was only one woman for him, but she wasn't there because she was gone. Smithy reached into his pocket, took out his wallet and opened it to look at the photo he had of his wife. He couldn't help wishing that Kerry could've been there that night, for it dawned upon him that they never had a first dance as husband and wife; in fact it had been a while since they had shared a dance altogether. Putting his wallet back in his pocket, he took another sip of his drink and looked around the room at all the dancing couples. But then, something caught his attention. As his eyes looked at the windows, he saw something familiar outside and felt the motive to go and investigate. Standing up off his chair, he walked out of the room and into the garden to where the familiar figure was standing. His heart stopped, but only for a moment as he stood still staring at her.

_**Have I told you lately that I love you  
Have I told you there's no one above you  
Fill my heart with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles, that's what you do**_

A beautiful young woman with blonde hair wearing a sky blue dress, heels, diamond earrings and a wedding ring was standing there smiling at him. Smithy walked over to her when the surprise had passed.

"I thought you couldn't come," he said as he stood in front of her.

"I know," she said nodding. "I thought so too."

"So… how?"

"I heard you calling me and… I heard your wish." She explained. "And when I saw where you were, I realised I wanted to be here with you."

"How long can you stay?" He asked sounding desperate.

She paused for a second.

"Not long," she finally answered. "But definitely longer than the last time I was here."

Smithy then took a few small steps closer to her.

"Kerry… it's true isn't it? You really are pregnant."

Kerry smiled and looked down at her stomach, placing her hands over it.

"Yes," she said looking back up at Smithy. "We're going to have a baby Smithy."

Smithy smiled with such joy, but then the smile began to fade.

"But I may not be there for the birth." He said sadly.

"No, you will be," Kerry told him. "I'll make sure you'll see it all in your dreams."

The smile on Smithy's face returned and he pulled Kerry into a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Anything for you," Kerry whispered back as they broke apart and gazed into each other's eyes before letting their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Pulling apart, Smithy realised that because Kerry was there now they had the chance to do what they never got to when they got married.

"You know Kerry now that you're here," Smithy said smiling. "There's one thing we never got to do when we got married."

"Really?" Kerry asked, knowing what he was referring to. "And what was that?"

"I think you know what it was," Smithy replied and then, he took a few steps back and held out his hand to her.

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

Kerry smiled.

"Of course," she answered as she placed her hand in his.

_**Take away my sadness  
Fill my life with gladness  
Ease my troubles that's what you do  
Fill my life with gladness  
Take away my sadness  
Ease my troubles that's what you do**_

Smithy took one hand in his, wrapped his free hand around Kerry's waist and she placed her free hand on his shoulder as they began their dance. This dance of course was special because it was their first dance as husband and wife, the dance they never got the chance to have when they got married. Their dance of course became more intimate every second - Smithy let Kerry wrap her arms around his neck and he wrapped both his arms around her waist; their heads coming more and more closer together as they shared another kiss. This day didn't turn out to be lonely as Smithy thought as he held his angel wife in his arms as they continued to dance the night away under the moon and stars.

**The End**


End file.
